Freedom comes at a Price
by heggyy
Summary: They've escaped. They've got out of Rosewood and they're free from A. But the Liars have bought their secrets, even across the ocean. Aria's pregnant and Spencer is struggling. Will they ever be free?
1. Chapter 1

Aria's POV

"The boarding gates are now open for the 0193 to Paris." A cool female voice booms over the airport. There's a flurry of motion as people drain away from the main crowd towards the boarding gate. This was the last time we could choose to turn back. We could still get back in time for sixth period; return home like nothing happened. But after this they were across the Atlantic and doing something so reckless and possibly stupid that I regret ever thinking of it. I grip my bag over my pregnant stomach and glance at my friends. Emily has that steeling look of determination I see before every one of her swim races, and Hanna is already standing up, ready to board the plane. Spencer is checking and double checking the tickets. No one else seems to have the seed of doubt that is making my heart race and my stomach churn. So I don't say anything and follow the others through the gate, flashing my passport at a guard, and walking up the ramp onto the plane.

It's a long journey, and I'm by the window, Emily on my left. I get out my phone, but an air hostess swoops over and I have to put it away.

"Did you bring any food?" I ask, leaning over Emily to look into Hanna's bag. She pulls out two packets of crisps, a crème egg, a banana and three tins of baked beans.

"That's all you bought?" Spencer said, disdainfully. "This isn't Girl Scout's Hanna."

"What?" Hanna said, defensively unwrapping the crème egg and nibbling it. "I was stressed. I don't work well under pressure."

This much was true; they had bought the tickets at the last minute, hoping this would be enough to stop A from following them. Unfortunately they hadn't had the foresight to pack, so they had to throw everything into their school bags in the dash to get to the airport. I grab the banana and munch on it hungrily.

"I seriously need some custard right now."

"Is that a craving thing?" Hanna asked.

"Probably. I just need some custard." I rise out of my seat. "I need some custard. So bad."

"Sit down Aria." Spencer hissed. "You look too young to be pregnant. People are going to start asking questions."

This is an insult; I'm actually only three months younger than Spencer, but I'm much smaller and I didn't have time to put make up on this morning. And my pregnant bulge is hardly noticeable; I've got much better at picking out clothes that flow over my belly. Today it's a pink smock with black leggings and pumps. I've had to wave goodbye to anything skin tight and high heels.

I sigh and huff back into my seat, crushing my bulbous stomach, making me cry out in pain. Tears well in my eyes, and suddenly I feel furious, even with my friends. I look out of the window. I know it's my hormones, but I can't control it so it's better to stay out of their way. I can hear them chatting about a fashion magazine. How can they be so relaxed?

I watch as Rosewood disappears beneath us and the landscape gets greener and less urban. Then, suddenly, everything turns blue. I can't believe we've escaped. We're free.


	2. Chapter 2

Hanna's POV

I'm jet-lagged and tired and desperately in need for a shower. Aria, who's usually the one who keeps things positive, is grouchy and snaps at everyone. I glance at Emily. She's trying to book us into a hotel on her phone, using the patchy airport Wi-Fi. It's not working well. Spencer, who is the only one with any experience of French, is attempting to buy some sandwiches. I'm looking after the bags, though I think this was more of a job to distract me than something that actually needs doing. I get out my phone and text Caleb. _I'm safe – don't worry about me._ I wish I could tell him more; he's been there for me for so long, but this has to be secret. I just hope he understands that.

"Three nights." Emily says.

"What?" I say, glancing up.

"Three nights in Paris's cheapest hotel. Should be long enough for us to sort something out?"

"Yeah." I say, though I'm not sure what we can sort out.

Spencer comes back with some ham sandwiches and a pot of custard for Aria (we had to start taking her craving seriously after she smacked Emily), and we eat them outside the terminal.

"So where next?" Spencer says.

"Let's just get to the hotel." I say.

It takes well over an hour to get to the hotel. None of us can read street signs very well, and even with the help of Emily's phone we can't navigate the narrow backstreets. Spencer tries talking to someone, but they just look at her weirdly and walk off. When we finally get there the receptionist takes twenty minutes to get off the phone. Then she hands us a key and starts texting.

We walk up the narrow stairs until we reach number 11. It's a dump. There are two bunk beds; crammed so close we can't all stand up at the same time. There's no bathroom, and Spencer has to go back to the receptionist to find out that the showers are communal and on the ground floor. Aria falls asleep immediately, curled up, and Emily goes to take a shower. Spencer and I scrunch up on the top bunks and try and work out what to do next, whispering ideas so not to wake Aria. When Emily comes back, I take a shower, though there's no hot water and my hair goes stiff from soap I can't wash out. We eat the crisps and then go to sleep. The first night in Paris isn't great.


	3. Chapter 3

Spencer's POV

I read a guidebook as the rest of the girls wake up. There are no curtains so I don't have to switch the lights on. We're on the seventh floor and there's an amazing view of the rooftops of Paris. If I wasn't so nervous I would love it.

Finally everyone is up and after some difficult logistics, dressed. We escape the room as quickly as we can, hurrying out past reception and into the bright street. I look up and down. A few people hurry past, but it's quite early. A bakery is opening on the corner and the smell of croissants mingles with the start of the warm day. I feel surprisingly free.

"Where shall we go for breakfast?" I say. "We can literally go anywhere."

It's true; obviously we had freedom in Rosewood, but here there are no pressures or timetables and people who know us and judge us. Hanna chooses a small cafe where we order coffee and almond croissants, which I've had when I came to France on an exchange and insist are delicious.

"So what next?" Emily says, a question that I've had on my mind for too long.

"Guys I know we escaped because we couldn't bear it any longer, but how long are we going to stay here."

"Till the baby's born?" Aria says.

"That's nearly six months. Is that how long we want to stay here?" Hanna says.

Emily nods. "Yes. Let's just set up a whole new life for ourselves. Can we do that?"

"We need to tell everyone we're safe." I say. "I'm not putting my parents through that."

Hanna leaned forward. "But are we going to tell everybody? Or just our family?"

"Family and a few friends." I say. "I'm going to tell Toby. You guys can tell Caleb and Paige and Ezra."

Aria doesn't say anything.

"We're going to have to find somewhere to live. Finish school."

Hanna sighs and rolls her eyes. "We've come half way across the world and we have to finish school?"

"Yes!" I say indignantly. "Otherwise what will happen when we get back to Rosewood?"

"If we go back to Rosewood." Emily says firmly.

"I'm just not sure my parents will understand." Aria says, sighing. "They don't even know I'm pregnant."

"But Ezra does?" Emily asks.

There's a pause.

"Aria Ezra does know?" I say quietly. "You have told him."

She stares at her hands.

"You haven't told Ezra you're pregnant?!" Hanna says loudly.

"Shh!" Aria says. "I was going to but a good time never came up. I can't ruin his life. He's got a career!"

"But he'd want to know!" Emily says. "He's been so supportive for so long. And he definitively wanted to be part of Malcolm's life when he still thought Malcolm was his son."

"Not helping Emily." Aria hisses. "I'll ring him later. Just. Not now."

The waiter comes to clear our plates, and I get some Euros out of my wallet.

"I think we need to start saving money." I say carefully.

"Spencer you're loaded!" Hanna says.

"If we're going to support ourselves and possibly a baby it means cutting back on meals out and luxuries." Emily says. I'm glad she agrees. I don't like being the responsible one all the time.

We split up after breakfast; I go with Emily to try and find accommodation and Aria and Hanna are sent out to do the shopping.

"Do we trust them to buy the stuff we need?" Emily says, as they walk off randomly down the street.

"We're going to have to." I say grimly.


	4. Chapter 4

Emily's POV

I would have no idea how to buy a flat in France, but Spencer seems confident. She rings an estate agent, and arranges in fluent French a meeting to see some flats.

"What?" She says when I'm looking at her with wonderment.

"How do you do that?" I say.

"Do what?" She says defensively.

"Doesn't matter." I reply, walking down the street. "Where do we need to go?"

Two hours later we've looked at three flats and none are right. The first was a whole floor complex with French windows onto a patio with a Jacuzzi. But it was so expensive our money would only cover a month. The second didn't have enough beds and the third was for holiday rentals.

"I could ring one of my Mum's friends?" Spencer says exasperated.

I shake my head. "We can't. We need to be independent."

"Shall we just head back to the hotel then? We can always look tomorrow?" Spencer says.

I nod, trying to contain my frustration. We don't talk as we trek back through the streets, winding up the hill and past the bakery.

"Wait!" Spencer pulls on my arm. "Is that flat for sale?"

I look where she's pointing. A red sign outside a traditional white stone building. Before I have time to look better, Spencer is pulling me down the street. She rings the doorbell.

"Spence! Shouldn't we get the others first?"

But it's too late; a fat lady in a bright pink sari opens the door.

"Bonjour!" Spencer says, smiling brightly. "Pouvons-nous chercher à l'appartement ?

"Oui!" The woman says, stepping back. "Entrez!"

She leads us up two dark flights of stairs. We pass other flats, but we keep going up. The staircase gets narrower and the windows further apart. Finally we reach the top. I'm the sporty one in our group, but I'm exhausted and my legs are burning.

The woman gets out a large set of keys, finds the right one and opens us into the flat. There's a low ceiling, but otherwise it's spacious. Skylights make it bright, and the view is incredible; we can see the Eiffel tower and the river and the people scurrying about below. There are two bedrooms; one with a double bed and one with two single beds, as well as a small bathroom and shower and a small kitchen.

"How much would it cost?" Spencer says. "I mean, combien cela coûterait-il?"

The woman says something in French.

Spencer turns to me. "40 Euros a week."

I look at her with astonishment. "Perfect! Really? That's amazing. Let's rent it now."

Spencer turns back to the woman. "Trois jours?"

The woman nods, and gets an information pack out of a drawer and hands it to Spencer.

"Au Revoir."

We follow her out of the building. I can hardly believe it. The flat is perfect!

On the way back I switch my phone on. 25 missed calls. 19 texts. Half from Hanna and Aria, the other half from my Mum.

"Spencer!" I say, a note of panic in my voice. "I think they're worried." I start jogging to the hotel, racing up the stairs and knocking desperately on the door.

"Aria? Hanna?"

The door swings open, and Hanna's angry face meets mine.

"You're alive!" She says indignantly. Spencer puffs up behind me.

"Sorry Hanna!" Spencer says her hand clasped over her chest.

Hanna moves back to let us in.

"We thought A had got you! We were terrified!"

Aria stands up, her hands laced with worry.

"What took you so long?"  
"We found a flat," Spencer said, sitting on the lower bunk so there was space for me to move into the room. "About five blocks away. Top floor. Spacious and cheap."

Hanna smiled grudgingly. "We got everything you asked for and more," she said, gesturing to the pile of shopping bags. Spencer started looking through the shopping.

"Do you not trust us?" Aria said indignantly.

"No." Spencer said dryly, holding up a multipack of Haribo. "What do we need these for?"

"I like Haribo." Hanna said defensively. "Anyway all you wanted was boring rabbit food."

"Did you buy any fruit?" I say, as Spencer pulls out tins of baked beans, packets of crisps, crème eggs, bacon, and chocolate. Finally at the bottom of the bags she finds a banana.

"I think we'll do the shopping next time." I say, trying to sound cross, though it's pretty funny what they've bought. Spencer catches my eye, and I can't stop a smile creeping across my face. Then I'm laughing and she's laughing and Hanna and Aria are laughing and just for a minute we forget the worries and responsibility and just relax.

For dinner we have crisps with chocolate and a quarter of a banana. We watch a movie on the tiny TV. It's a lame one, with French subtitles, but there's not any other type of entertainment. We fall asleep in a tangle of arms and legs on the floor.


End file.
